Happy 19th Sunday! Happy Feast of the Assumption!
Happy 19th Sunday! Happy Feast of the Assumption!
Happy 19th Sunday! Happy Feast of Assumption!
Peter Julian Eymard was born in France. When he was five years old, one day he wandered away from his family. His family looked for him everywhere and finally found him in the parish church; he was standing on a stool in front of the tabernacle. They questioned him to see why he was there, and he replied, “I am here listening to Jesus.” Peter Julian Eymard joined the seminary and became a priest. He spent the rest of his life listening to Jesus and is called the Apostle of the Eucharist.
This weekend’s reading is about our faith, confidence and how we listen to God. God is with us always, but we encounter him in unexpected ways and places. In the first reading we see, on Mount Horeb, Elijah listened to God in the tiny whispering sound. The story of Elijah’s journey to Mount Horeb was a flight from danger. At that time Ahaz was the king of Israel. He married a foreign princess, Jezebel, who worshiped the pagan god Baal. She brought with her into the royal court a sizable revenue of the god Baal. Elijah was furious because there is only one God in Israel, and it is not Baal. He challenged all 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel which ended up Elijah’s victory and annihilation of them all. Queen Jezebel was angry and decided to take Elijah’s life. Elijah fled to mount Horeb, and he rested in a cave. God said to him to come out of the cave to meet the Lord. Elijah came out of the cave to see God. God was not in the roar of the wind, the crashing of rocks, the earthquake, but in the tiny whispering sound.
Today’s Gospel is a continuation of the feeding of the five thousand. In the fourth watch of the night (between 3 am and 6 am) Jesus walks on crashing waves of the terrible storm at the sea of Galilee. The Old Testament credits God alone with authority over the sea (Job 26:11-14; Ps 89:8-10; 93:4; 107:28-31). In the book of Exodus 34:14, God said to Moses, “I AM who I AM” and here Jesus says, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." Peter here represents all of us. He wants to walk with Jesus but loses the focus and is terrified. But look at Jesus and said, “Lord, save me.” On Mount Horeb Elijah sees wind, fire, and earthquake but hears God in a tiny whispering sound. Jesus is the Lord, the same God who demonstrated his power over the nature to the prophet Elijah. He proclaims this truth by walking on the water and stills the storm. Another image in this passage is that the Church is the boat of Peter on the rough see. Despite many obstacles and struggles, the Lord’s help and protection always will be there.
The Feast of Assumption of Mary was defined by Pope Pius XII in 1950 but was celebrated in the Church from its earliest days as the Feast of the Dormition or falling asleep of Mary. We read in the book of Genesis, God created Adam and Eve in the image and likeness of God. Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “Man, tempted by the devil, let his trust in his Creator die in his heart and, abusing his freedom, disobeyed God's command. This is what man's first sin consisted of. All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and lack of trust in his goodness.”
God gave us second Adam and Eve: Jesus and Mary. In the book Genesis 3:15, we read, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; they will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel.” In the Gospel of John 19:26, we see Mother Mary and Apostle John at the foot of the cross. When Jesus saw them, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” And said to John, “Behold, your mother.” In the book of Revelation, John talks about his vision. In our first reading for the Mass of the day, Revelation 12:1 “A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.”
God chose Mary, second Eve, in a special way to bring Jesus, the second Adam, who bring us salvation. First reading for the vigil Mass, from the book of Chronicles 15, we see David had assembled the people of Israel in Jerusalem to bring the ark of the Lord. Mary is new the Ark of the Covenant. When the old ark was completed, the glory cloud of the Lord covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle (Ex 40:34-35; Nm 9:18, 22). The new Ark of the Covenant, Mary, was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit. The new Ark of the Covenant, Mary was assumed into heaven.
The Assumption of Mary into Heaven reminds us that suffering, and trials are also gifts from God. Assumption reminds us of what awaits us if we follow her example. Let’s pray today that Mary helps us make the journey to Heaven and one day shine there alongside her and her Son.